The Magic

What kind of epic fantasy novel would this be without magic? Magic itself is easy but there are a few rules, a bunch of paths (vocations), important people in the Mage-World, and some rules about society and magic itself. It's all gathered here so you don't have to try and find something in the bulk of the story. And look, I even made a list:

The magic in Avalora is based off two key factors: the belief you can do something and enforcing your will on whatever it is you want to do. Ivy says it best: "Magic is arbitrary belief focusing on concepts that can’t be physically touched."

Magic is broken up into six paths or vocations: Dark, Light (Healer), Creature, Warrior, Gray, and Elemental. Each vocation has strenghts and weaknesses against the others and in general uses for magic like portaling, summoning, and levitating. Dark Mages are broken up into regular Dark Mages or Grims. Only the Grimgolds can become Grims. Light Mages are generally the doctors and nurses of the Mage world. Creature Mages are magical vets who can control beasts with certain spells. Warriors can't cast spells or do much practical magic but the magic of the other vocations rarely effects them and their defenses are immense. They rely on brute power to protect. Gray Mages are the Jacks of All Trades, capable of picking certain aspects of every vocation and excelling. They are also the best at general magic. Elemental Mages are broken into element catagories: fire, air, water, earth, metal, wood, lightning, snow and rain. Most have control over multiple elements and other vocations may be able to control one element.

Key Points:

Mages come into their powers at 16 and it's normally discovered by accident. It's rare for a Mage to discover their magic earlier or later in life. Half-Mages may or may not have powers.

Mages learning how to control their powers need a Centering Object so they can learn to focus their power. They are also surrounded by whatever vocation they are a part of once releasing their magic, for example: a Dark Mage will produce a black smog when first learning how to do spell work. As they learn to control their powers the fog will lessen until a person cannot tell if a Mage is doing spell work

Pureblood/pure-bred Mages believe Mages should not ever breed with non-Mages (those with no magic) and believe breeding with Non-mages will weaken magic in general. Non-Mages hold a sense of fear and wonder when it comes to Mages and Magic. Half-Mages are unaccepted in either "world", considered weak by Pure/Full Mages and frightening by Non-Mages

Non-Mage and Full Mage teens are separated in High School but non-Mages and Full Mages work and live together most of the time. There are some instances where Mage families live outside of a non-Mage township and their are cases where Full Mages have not been welcome in a non-Mage area.

Despite having magic, all Mages use the technology of 2015. Some have adopted the way of dress and sports of a certain popular work of fantasy that has seven books. Other Mages may look to these "Wizards and Witches" in amusement or in disgust.

Full Mages can live up to 500 years, half-Mages 300 years, and Mages born from non-Mages 250. Mages born from Non-Mages lose their magic faster as they near the end of their life.

Mages from certain vocations can learn magic from other vocations. For example, a Dark Mage can learn Fire Magic and an Elemental Mage can learn Dark Magic. It depends on the Mage. General magic includes: portals, levitation, summoning, and light elemental magic (lighting a candle).

Mages have their own system of money. One gold coin is worth $10. One silver coin is worth $5 and a Bronze coin is worth $1. So if you see 10 gold coins, it's 100 dollars. For example: Avalora's regulat tuition is 1000 gold coins, so $10,000 per year just to get into the school. There are discounts for students from non-Mage families, students who live in single-parent households, and students who have no parents.

YOU DO NOT CHOOSE THE SCHOOL YOU GO TO. The Headmasters of all the schools choose you to attend which is why Avalora has many, many, many programs to lower its tuition rates.

What can Magic do?

Basically everything. You can fight with it, defend with it, feed yourself with it. What you can't do:

Make more gold or turn other objects into gold, silver, or bronze coins. Literally, it cannot be done as the spell fails to stick for a long period of time and the person will be caught. There have been cases where excellent alchemists have converted stone to gold coins, bought something hugely expensive, ran away with it, and the gold coins didn't turn to stone till they were long gone. A lot of places have a detector to find fake gold.

Bring back the soul of someone touched by a Grim. Souls can be brought back (meaning a person comes back to life) if the soul is caught before it moves into the Othe World. If the body is destroyed before the soul can be returned then the soul is, well; screwed. Only ONE soul can occupy ONE body for any length of time and a soul cannot occupy a body it wasn't meant to without GREAT physical damage to the body.

The Vocations:

Dark Mages: heavily interested in death, either the dead or ancient runes and symbols. They're known as the researchers and their careers normally have something to do with studying death in some sense. They don't fear death, rather they believe it's a natural process and a part of every person's life. They see the beauty in the workmanship of decay and torture devices. They're known as being aloof, loners, mellow, calm, cool, collected, and obsessive. Cannot perform Levitation or Summoning. Masters of far reaching portals, especially the Grimgolds.

Light Mages: highly intelligent and respected by the Mage community. The complete opposite of Dark Mages, they embrace life and work hard to prevent death and decay. They don't fear death as it is part of a natural cycle but they will not let someone die on their table. They go on to become doctors, nurses, paramedics, and anything in the medical field. They're known as being nuturing, helpful, sympathetic, empathetic, energetic, curious, stubborn, and happy. Cannot create portals. Masters of summoning and levitating objects.

Gray Mages: the Jack of All Mages who can excel in the basics arts of summoning, levitation, and portals. Their special talents lie in Divination, Time, Illusion, Empathic, and Mental Magic. Unlike other Mages they are a blend of both Light and Dark and can therefore learn anything from any vocation. Gray Mages go on to become spies, fortune tellers, entertainers, officers of the law, and a variety of other jobs. They're known for being emotionally level, brilliant, and professional students. Cannot perform far reaching portals.

Elemental Mages: control the world around them depending on their strongest element. All Elemental Mages can control at least two elements and most can control upwards of three. All Elemental Mages also lean towards one element in particular, the one they like to manipulate the most. Elemental Mages have various jobs depending on their elements. Those with wood, earth, or metal go into construction and design. Those with water go into the boating or fishing business. Those with fire become anything from firefighters to warriors. Those with lightning work for the electric companies and can become natural power supplies. Their attitudes and general dispositions depend on their elements. Fire Mages are quick to anger where Wind Mages tend to be aloof. Cannot perform portals. Masters of levitation for extended periods of time, especially wind elementals.

Creature Mages the healers of every creature immense and tiny they excel not only in typical creature healing but fantasical creature healing. They can also learn to control particular creatures or physically speak to them in their language. They're known to be nurturing, like working in groups, have difficulty making decisions but tend to be organized to the point of obsession. Cannot perform portals. Masters of summoning creatures to them

Warrior Mages do not have strong practical magic skills but can defend against all other vocations. They are the masters of all traditional and non-traditional weapons and go on to become protectors in some sense of the word. Warriors can withstand most attack spells thrown at them from any other vocation and create barriers so powerful that sometimes not even dragons who are immune to most magic can break them down. They're known as stubborn, often overwork themselves, loyal, and powerful of mind, body, and emotions. Cannot perform long levitations or far reaching portals. Masters of Summoning objects to them.

There are only 12 pureblood and wealthy Mage families left in the world. This does not mean they're the only pureblood Mage families. The other pureblood Mage families don't have a lot of clout in the Mage world as they don't have a lot of money so they're not considered important, respected, or powerful. Most of the other pureblood Mage families are considerably weaker then any family on this page. All pureblood Mage families follow STRICT rules when it comes to what magic their children can have and who their children can marry. That rule goes double for the 12 here:

The Blackponds: Dark and Water Elementals. Family worth: $14 billion or 1.4 billion gold coins

The Rainfalls: Wood and Earth Elementals. Family worth: $8 billion or 800 million gold coins

The Silkdews: Gray Mages. Family worth: $5 billion or 500 million gold coins

The Furors: Warrior Mages. Family worth: $950 million or 95 million gold coins

The Swiftreavers: Warrior Mages. Family worth: $734 million or 73.4 million gold coins

The Bloodwryms: Dark Mages. Family worth: $643 million or 64.3 million gold coins

The following are Mage Families who are respected out of fear or pure power despite no longer being considered pureblooded. These familes have been known to breed with non-Mages and the family member who does so is normally forgotten about but still able to keep the name. There are some who are not Full Mages but still hold a lot of magical output simply because they come from good stock.

The Grimgolds: the most feared of all Mage Families (including the Raynharts). Even though one of their main functions is the highest paying job in the Mage World their family net worth is low. No one is certain why and no one dares ask. Dark Mages ALWAYS come from this line and there has never been an exception even if a Light Mage marries into the Grimgold name. Look below for more details.

The Riverwoods: the most powerful Elemental Mages can trace their ancestory to the Riverwoods. The name lost its meaning as most Riverwoods have breed with Non-Mages which is a "horrible" thing to the 12 families above. It's a scandal when one of those 12 is even seen with a non-Mage but the Furors are pretty chill about being friends with non-Mages and half-Mages. There has never been a non-Elemental Riverwood.

The Wyreworms: powerful Dark Mages who go on to become the best for interogation and torture. No one wants to get on the wrong side of them or they'll end up mysteriously missing limbs. The family doesn't make a lot of gold and some have bred with non-Mages which is why they didn't make it on the list above. Daidora Wyreworm is the Head of Dark Arts at Avalora.

The Moorewoods: the best Healers and Light Mages are Moorewoods and no Moorewood has been anything but a Healer or Light Mage. Many people have considered them angels or gods. They too had started breeding with non-Mages which made them "fall from grace" in full Mage's eyes. They are still sought after by the Full Mages for their healing talents. Ayleena Moorewood is the Head of Light Magic at Avalora.

The Stagdores: the best when it comes to creatures. Want a dragon tamed? You go to them. Like the others on this list every Stagdore has been a creature Mage and some members in the family have bred with non-Mages. Ario Stagdore is the Head of Creature Studies at Avalora.

The Whytmores: the greatest Seers (divination), Empaths, Time Mages, Illusion Mages, and all around Gray Mages. Most of the Whytmores have married non-Mages but even their half-Mage children have been Gray Mages. Keetes Whytmore (a half-mage) is the Head of Gray Magic at Avalora.

The Sawlers: No one's exactly sure what the Sawyers are as all vocations have come up in their line even when a non-Mage parent is involved. The Sawlers are known for their reflective hair (you can see all colors in it, kind of like a prism), colorless eyes, and sparkling golden skin. Jayse Sawler is the Head of General Magic at Avalora.

The Zolneus': Few of them are left but they are the Dark Mages with an odd affinity for Levitation, Creatures, and Fire Magic. No one's sure what happened to the line or why. Draqor Zolneus is the Headmaster of Avalora.

We find out about Grims in detail during the series but here's the basics:

The Grimgolds became the Grimgolds because they were and still are powerful Grims who work for a lot of gold.

Grims have something to do with death

Grims can be hired assassins

No Grim ever wants the job of Grim

A typical Dark Mage cannot be a Grim even if they go through the same training as a Grimgold. In fact, the Dark Mage non Grimgold who attempts the Grim training will go bat-crap insane and spend the rest of their lives in a facility

ONLY Grimgolds can become Grims. In fact, half of the Grimgold family in its entirety are Grims. The other half are brilliant researchers who discover ancient relics no one else is able to find or they're morticians.

To reiterate point two: Grims are heavily associated with the process of death, dying, and moving on into the afterlife. Yes, they accept large sums of gold coins to do their job as Grims BUT no one knows where the coinage goes as the Family net worth is small.

Generally non-Mages and full-Mages get along in working society. The higher up on the totem poll a Mage Family is, the less they think of non-Mages. Raynharts and Tempests believe half-Mages and non-Mages are nothing but their servants. Few pure-blood Mage families like the company of non-Mages or half-Mages but will work with them if they have to.

Half-Mages get to be the ones who are not accepted by either non-Mages or full Mages. Naturally both parents accept the child but the family of the full-Mage parent disowns the full-Mage where the family of the non-Mage parent avoids the non-Mage. It means half-Mages never meet aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins or any other relation besides their parents.

Most pure-blood Mage families believe homosexuality is wrong, especially Warrior Mages. Pure-blood Mage families tend to find other pure-blood Mage families to have their child create more pure-bloods suitable to the family line. Marrying for love is not an option. Even "low" mage-families will disown a member who marries a non-Mage or produces a child who has no magic.

Non-mages generally don't marry into Mage or Half-Mage lines willingly though there are some who marry into predominate families for the wealth, fear, or because they are actually in love. Two examples of true love are the relationships between Allison and Alaro Grimgold (Bane's parents) and John Smith and Marissa Riverwood (Dawn's parents). Half-Mages who cannot find anyone else will sometimes put a love spell on an unsuspecting non-mage in order to produce a child in desperate circumstances.

There are Mage towns and Non-Mage towns but often time smaller communities have a mix of both. Mage towns use Mage Fire to light their buildings and streets which makes non-Mages nervous to visit. Most of the time Mages and Non-Mages work together but are separated when it comes to being housed. It's rare for a single apartment complex in a large city to house both non-Mages and Mages.

Generally racism is reversed in the Mage community. The Raynharts are African American and believe anyone who's white are lazy and good for nothing. This trickles down the totem pole so whites are seen as less than blacks. In the Non-Mage world, it's the opposite (as it is in 2015 society now). Anyone who isn't "cis/straight" or "normal" is looked upon unkindly in both communities, exactly like society in 2015. There is an acceptance movement but Mages aren't ones who change quickly.

Mages have adapted electronis and changed them to run on magic instead of electricity. Mages own cell phones, cars, computers, televisions, and behave as a non-Mage in 2015 except their laptops are run on the power of their own magic. The internet is shared between both communities though Mages have their own websites as do non-Mages. Non-Mages have not grown used to seeing Mage fire light rooms or a flying car.

There is a government body for Mages to regulate magic, rules, and how non-Mages are treated. This government body works with the non-Mage government body to make sure war doesn't break out between the two communities. The Magic Ministry also handles relations between elves, dwarves, giants, and other races listed as "other."

Children who do not meet the vocational requirements of their family have been disowned. For example, if a Tempest becomes anything but a Dark Mage, that Tempest will lose their name and have to make up a new one. It's the same if a Furor becomes an Elemental Mage or a Raynhart becomes a Light Mage.

Let's remember our characters' names (Raynhart, Tempest, Furor, Grimgold, and Riverwood) and take into consideration they're all in one Room Assignment at a school that's known for putting one person from each vocation into a single Room. That's right. There will be major conflict going during the course of first term.

These include magical breeds who have a humanoid shape but distinctly different magic than the six vocations:

Elves

Forest-dwelling magic users with humanoid shape who are exceptionally beautiful. Their ears are cantered to points and they are more graceful than any Mage. Their magic resembles Light Magic but is more nature based. They cannot heal the full range of injuries as a Light Mage can but have a knack for manipulating plants and other greenry unlike Earth or Wood Elementals.

Dwarves

Cave-dwelling magic users with a humanoid shape who tend to be much shorter than a normal human. Their ears have a slight canter to them and their Magic does not follow natural laws. It could be called Dark Magic but they do not excel in anything a Dark Mage does. They can manipulate metal similiar to a Metal Elemental but do not use the same spells.

Fairies

Believed to be extinct they are humanoid in form but no larger than a normal human's palm. Their magic burst out in sparkles and created life in the world itself wherever it landed. For example, a Fairy could make a tree grow from the middle of a paved street. Fairies have not been seen in 90 years.

Giants

Mountain dwellers who grow to over 10 feet in height and have no magical capabilities. They are clan-beings who use brute strenght to lead and speak in an extremely gutteral tongue.

Dragons

The oldest of all the breeds and races, reptilian in shape with the speech capabilities of a human. Their magic is innate, natural, and most vocational magic does not work against them. Some can be tamed as familiars (mini-dragons) but the larger varities leave once they come of age. Dragons like to hoard shiny objects that may not have any real wealth.

Merfolk

Water dwellers with a humanoid form from the waist up and a long fish tail from the waist down. They speak in sounds, much like dolphins but have the capability of human speech. Gills dominate the sides of their necks and they have fins along their backs and arms. Merfolk enjoy shining objects as much as dragons and will hoard objects in underwater caves. Their magic is unknown.

Harpies

Mountain dwellers with wings for arms, bird-like legs, feathers for hair and beaks upon their faces. They are capable of human speech but it is normal garbled. They speak in tweets and screams among their fellows and rarely leave their high homes to speak to any Mage. No one knows about their magic.

Goblins

The same size as dwarves but green in color with no hair. They love anything gold and are experts at hiding themselves from even the most experiences Mages. Their magic could be described as Gray Magic but no goblin has ever produced any kind of magic similiar to vocational magic.

Spirits

The unfortunate ones whose body was destroyed before they could realize they were dead. Spirits believe they still live though only those well versed in Dark Magic (or Grims) can see or hear them. They can effect the world around them with enough concentration but their magic comes from emotion, not any typical vocation. Spirits can be pushed to move on only by a Grim.